>>10499600honestly i'm done with the theology argument. in fact that's against the rules here.... but just to answer your question:
>If you truly don't believe in any sort of higher power why do you put any stock in the experience of others above your own?i'm not sure i do. in fact i think scientists are the best at not taking claims at face value, but instead analyzing the logic involved and making sure it clicks with their own theoretical understanding of reality. being skeptical is GOOD in science; not so at church.
and also, hedonism is not the only reason an atheistic person (not that i am one, i consider myself an agnostic) would value good works. it is easy to imagine a person who values 1) future fame past their lifetime, 2) benefiting humanity, just because they're a nice person, or 3) because they have some selfish interest in their offspring and future descendants, regardless of their own pleasures and pains
